Active Transportation and Obesity Indicators in Adults from Latin America: ELANS Multi-Country Study

Marques

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The way adolescents travel to school can be an important contribution to achieving their daily physical activity recommendations. The main objective of this research is to know which variables are associated with the mode of transportation used to and from school by Portuguese adolescents. The 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children questionnaire was applied to 5695 adolescents with an average age of 15.5 (SD ± 1.8), 53.9% of whom were female. The associations were studied by applying χ2 tests and multivariate logistic regression models. In this study, 36.5% of the participants reported walking or cycling to school. Active transportation to school is associated with age (OR = 1.3; p < 0.05), sufficient physical activity (OR = 1.2; p < 0.05), adequate number of hours of sleep (OR = 1.2; p < 0.05), perception of happiness (OR = 1.2; p < 0.05) and living near the school (OR = 2.4; p < 0.05). The results revealed that adolescents’ choice to travel to/from school using an active mode of transportation increased with age, physical activity, hours of sleep, perception of happiness, and living near the school.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Transportation to School. Utopia or a Strategy for a Healthy Life in Adolescence

Marques

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…This has important implications for women's health, as there are higher levels of physical inactivity in this group [41]. A higher level of physical inactivity is detrimental to physical and mental health, including higher levels of overweight and obesity [42,43]. Given that physical and mental health implies higher health expenses and generates higher levels of disability, this would place women at disadvantage [44].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the local level, an acceptable urban proposal will only be fully effective if it is reinforced by well-implemented city-wide and region-wide combined policies that generate available employment, education, facilities, and high-quality public transport [51]. Several Latin American countries have advanced in infrastructure to encourage the use of active transportation, being the case of some cities such as Bogotá in Colombia, which invested in creating exclusive bike paths [42,52]. The patterns of mode of transportation among the different socioeconomic levels and other social conditions in Latin America are closely related with the urban processes of the region.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sociodemographic inequities and active transportation in adults from Latin America: an eight-country observational study

Ferrari

Guzmán-Habinger

Chávez³

et al. 2021

Int J Equity Health

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Background Active transportation is a crucial sort of physical activity for developing sustainable environments and provides essential health benefits. This is particularly important in Latin American countries because they present the highest burden of non-communicable diseases relative to other worldwide regions. This study aimed to examine the patterns of active transportation and its association with sociodemographic inequities in Latin American countries. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted in eight countries. Participants (n = 8547, 18–65 years) self-reported their active transportation (walking, cycling, and total) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Sex, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, education level, public and private transport use, and transport mode were used as sociodemographic inequities. Results Participants spent a total of 19.9, 3.1, and 23.3 min/day with walking, cycling, and total active transportation, respectively. Mixed and other ethnicity (Asian, Indigenous, Gypsy, and other), high socioeconomic level as well as middle and high education level presented higher walking than Caucasian, low socioeconomic and education level. Private transport mode and use of ≥ 6 days/week of private transport showed lower walking than public transport mode and ≤ 2 days/week of private transport. Use of ≥ 3 days/week of public transport use presented higher walking than ≤ 2 days/week of public transport. Men had higher cycling for active transportation than women. Use of ≥ 3 days/week of public transport use presented higher cycling than ≤ 2 days/week of public transport. ≥6 days/week showed lower cycling than ≤ 2 days/week of private transport use. Men (b: 5.57: 95 %CI: 3.89;7.26), black (3.77: 0.23;7.31), mixed (3.20: 1.39;5.00) and other ethnicity (7.30: 2.55;12.04), had higher total active transportation than women and Caucasian. Private transport mode (-7.03: -11.65;-2.41) and ≥ 6 days/week of private transport use (-4.80: -6.91;-0.31) showed lower total active transportation than public transport mode and ≤ 2 days/week of private transport use. Use of 3–5 (5.10: 1.35;8.85) and ≥ 6 days/week (8.90: 3.07;14.73) of public transport use presented higher total active transportation than ≤ 2 days/week of public transport use. Differences among countries were observed. Conclusions Sociodemographic inequities are associated differently with active transportation across Latin American countries. Interventions and policies that target the promotion of active policies transportation essential to consider sociodemographic inequities. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.Gov NCT02226627. Retrospectively registered on August 27, 2014.

“…Accelerometers, such as those used in ELANS, are valid instruments to measure steps and physical activity intensity [ 18 , 44 , 45 ]. The use of device methods is rare in Latin American countries, where most previous research relied on self-reported instruments [ 33 , 46 , 47 ]. The promotion and facilitation of active transportation and public transport should be part of international and global strategies for preventing physical inactivity, and it should be mandatory for policy makers and planners to take active transportation facilities into account.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analyses were carried out according to country, age group, socioeconomic and education level. Due of the significant differences between men and women in levels of MVPA and steps per day [ 20 , 33 ], we conducted analyses separately for men and women.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between Active Transportation and Public Transport with an Objectively Measured Meeting of Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Daily Steps Guidelines in Adults by Sex from Eight Latin American Countries

Herreros-Irarrázabal

Guzmán-Habinger

Matsudo

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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This study aimed to examine the associations between active transportation and public transport and the objectively measured meeting of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and steps per day guidelines in adults by sex from eight Latin American countries. As part of the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS), data were collected from 2524 participants aged 18–65 years. MVPA and steps per day were evaluated using Actigraph GT3X accelerometers. The mode of transportation, its frequency and duration were collected using a self-reported questionnaire. The average time dedicated to active transportation was 12.8 min/day in men (IQR: 2.8–30.0) and 12.9 min/day in women (IQR: 4.3–25.7). A logistic regression analysis was conducted, showing that active transportation (≥10 min) was associated with higher odds of meeting MVPA guidelines (men: OR: 2.01; 95%CI: 1.58–2.54; women: OR: 1.57; 95%CI: 1.25–1.96). These results show a greater association when considering active transportation plus public transport (men: OR: 2.98; 95%CI: 2.31–3.91; women: OR: 1.82; 95%CI: 1.45–2.29). Active transportation plus public transport was positively associated with meeting steps per day guidelines only in men (OR: 1.55; 95%CI: 1.15–2.10). This study supports the suggestion that active transportation plus public transport is significantly associated with meeting the MVPA and daily steps recommendations.